[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H1281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H1281]]
           ARTWORK COMMEMORATING WOMEN IN THE CAPITOL COMPLEX

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Crenshaw). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during this women's history month, it is 
with great pleasure that I rise to announce that I have today 
introduced a resolution expressing the sense of this House of 
Representatives that artwork displayed in our Capitol, the upcoming 
Capitol Visitors' Center and the office buildings of the House of 
Representatives should better represent the contributions of women to 
American society. I am pleased to be joined by 16 of our colleagues as 
original cosponsors and encourage all of our other colleagues to join 
in this effort.
  Mr. Speaker, the majority of our Nation's residents are female. The 
mothers and grandmothers of America have carried life forward in our 
Republic now for over 2 centuries. Females, in fact, outnumber males, 
according to the 2000 census estimates, by 6 million: 140 million 
women, 134 million men.
  The statue of a woman called Freedom crowns the dome of our Capitol 
building. Sixty-four Members of the House and 13 Members of the Senate 
are now women. We pledge allegiance to a flag that was designed by a 
woman. Sojourner Truth was committed to freedom and the abolition of 
slavery in the mid-1800s. Rosie the Riveter symbolized the 
contributions of women to our victory and the victory of freedom in 
World War II. Rosa Parks has been a major inspiration of every American 
concerned about civil rights. Our own colleague, now retired Geraldine 
Ferraro, became the first woman to be the candidate of a major 
political party for the office of vice president.
  One would think that given the contributions that women have made to 
the world and to our Nation, as mothers, scientists, educators, 
astronauts, political leaders, mentors of our youth, having artwork in 
our Capitol that commemorates their contributions would be automatic. 
But sadly, in this year of 2001, this simply is not the case. In fact, 
less than 5 percent of the artwork displayed in all of these buildings 
displays or honors the contributions that women have made to America. 
It really is a shocking figure.
  In 1995, I sponsored a resolution to establish a Commission on 
Women's Art in the Capitol. Then in 1997, I sought to include a 
directive in the report on the fiscal 1998 legislative branch 
appropriation bill to direct the Architect of the Capitol to prepare a 
plan for the procurement and display of art that is more fully 
representative of the contributions of American women to our society. I 
was told by then chairman of the Committee on House Oversight, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), that he believed this language 
was not necessary and would usurp the authority of the Joint Committee 
on the Library and the Fine Arts Board, and nothing happened.
  In 1998, I was successful in getting a similar statement of support 
included in the fiscal 1999 legislative branch appropriations bill; and 
then in 1999, I similarly introduced House Resolution 202, a resolution 
virtually identical to the one that I am now introducing in this new 
107th Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, our parents have taught us that those things worth 
having are worth fighting for. Today we renew that fight. We renew this 
fight with the recognition that we are planning on constructing a new 
Capitol Visitors' Center that has the opportunity to appropriately 
represent the contributions of women, as well as men, from the very 
beginning of that annex's construction.
  So often in the past we have been told that it is difficult to find 
space in the Capitol or in the House buildings for additional artwork 
commemorating women. So adding pieces to commemorate the contributions 
of women has been limited. That argument will not be valid with respect 
to the new Capitol Visitors' Center, where we will have an opportunity 
to get it right from the beginning.
  As our constituents, especially our young constituents, come into 
this Capitol they should be impressed with a sense of inclusion. 
America is made up of both men and women, mighty in strength and mighty 
in spirit, of Native Americans, of pilgrim Americans, of immigrant 
Americans and of recent Americans. Each and every one of these groups 
deserves to be recognized and celebrated for the contributions they 
have made to building this magnificent Republic.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that at long last we can consider 
this resolution this year so we can begin to provide the level of 
recognition that the contributions of women to American society 
deserve, and I would implore my male colleagues, this is not a heavy 
lift. This is actually a fairly straightforward initiative that can be 
accomplished in regular order. Please give the women of America the 
recognition that they rightly deserve in these important buildings.

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